Tourists amble off buses, clad in the nervous
chatter of intrusion, searching for superheroes.
They suffocate the sidewalks of Hollywood,
trampling over handprints embedded in slabs of
concrete that will outlast glitter and celluloid.
Boys wrap drum beats into the skin of paint buckets,
rhythms that hunt for a quickening pulse,
beckoning a bat winged man on roller blades.
He glides through the spotlight, leather sheathing
his lean muscles, spikes shimmering at his throat.
Towering like myth above the gaping mouths
of visitors who are hungry for a taste of divinity,
he shatters the sky with garlands of laughter,
shrieking his delight into the afternoon.
Silence falls over stars encased in obsidian.
Ooooo this is lovely! Congratulations Susan!
Beautifully, frenetically paced, breathless with claustrophobia. I felt like I was a bystander near the sidewalk. Simply gorgeous poem.
Beautifully written, Susan! I love the contrasts your gorgeous and vibrant imagery provides. What should apparently be a world of glory, dreams and happiness such as Hollywood, its stars and its fans, appears as something oppressive with the tourists suffocating sidewalks, etc. I like how you refer to the temporary of all this Hollywood glamour where there is “concrete that will outlast glitter and celluloid”. I wonder at the bat winged man on rollerblades who “shatters the sky with garlands of laughter”. The contraposition between “shatters” and “laughter” is a very powerful image. Love it!
The title of the poem is perfect and also how you go back to it in the last verse.
You are so fucking awesome! Love your writing and you to death!! 😊💛
90% of my career was in the tourism industry. You described tourists perfectly!
Exquisite read.